The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-03-10
Prof. Bateman's Pen Portraits OF His Friends.

| my friend Rust is ut it again. Nearly IL column of
space is devoted to abuse of the knights of Labor
and the soldiers. The passage of a pension bill
has the same effect upon the Progressive Age that
red flag has upon wilt bull. In crticising his
course wish it to be distinctly understood that
| am actuated by no personal feeling. For VIM. NJ.
| Rust entertain high regard lie is man of
decided ability, and has the courage to boldly
press his convictions In these days of political
| hypocrisy and namhy pamby journalism this is no
| slight compliment. He never stops to consider
what effect given course may have upon his own
| personal fortunes. When once his mind is made
phe goes straight ahead with blissfu indifference
| to public opinion. Week after week he pounds
away and insults the brave defenders of a country
which exists only by their valor and devotion. No
one knows better than himself that, with the ex-
ception of few old Democratic families, soldier
can be found in nearly every household in Waldo
County. This fact makes not the slightest difference
| in shaping his
ga primrose by rivers brim,
a simple primrose is to him..
In like manner a soldier wooden leg is
| merely portion of "the rubbish of the army
This position he defends W it'll an ability and zeal
| worthy of better cause. There those whose
eyes may chance to rest upon these lines whose
memory will reach back to the time when the
conquerng legions of the North passed in grand
| review through the city of Washington. stretched
upon an enormous canvas which covered one side
of the Presidents mansion, were these words
'The only debt which this nation can never repay
| is the debt of gratitude that it to its brave
defenders Glorious words, How many eyes
moistencd at their sight. They gave assurance to
| many an old cripple that when his last tattoo
should beat the widow and orphans he might leave
behind would be tenerly cared for by grateful
people. Little did he then dream that quarter
of Il century would roll around before that act of
justice would lie performed. Still less did he
| dream that when, after years of weary waiting,
Congress should tardiy acknowledge his claim,
| that act would be vetoed by man who at that
| time was drawing Il fat salary as common hang
man. such is the mockery of justice, and such the
gratitude of republics. Let the Goddess of Liberty
hang her head in shame at the spectacle Buckle
on your armor once more, old soldier, and prepare
for your last great struggle with poverty and want
While pauper's grave yawns before you, just
bend your car and listen for one moment to the
shout of eNultation that is going up from every
Democratic paper in our land. Don't dcudc your
self with the idea that the Progressive Age is
alone in denouncng you as perjurcrS and paupers.
From Maine to Texas the entire Democracy re
joiccs over your As you listened to the rebel
yell in days of yore, listen to their shouts of
triumph and then by all means continue to vote
the Democratic ticket.
l regret the necessity which compes me to pass
structures upona personal friend. But the memory
OF that bloody strife to which my childish sympa-
thies and services given is too fresh in my
mind to allow the unjust course of Mr.. Rust to
pass unnoticcd. That he will change his course is
too much for Us to hope. As he surveys the
wreck Of his political fortunes which his
hand has wrought he only becomes the more DIES
perate and Don QuNotc like, charges wildly at the
object of his hatred. Thank God his sting has lost
its poison
Another object of his especial dislike j. the
knights of Labor organization. Here again he
only follows i'll the footsteps of the entire Demo
cratic press of tho country. The columns of these
labor hating papers carefully scanned and
every article charging crime against the knights
of Labor is copied into the Age with the most
''ghouli>h gce." lie thinks nothing of charging
the entire organization with being anarchists.
plotcr> OF treason, and enemies of their country
trying TO ''dam up all the currents OF commerce
and cause paralysis of business His course
here is little amusing, to say the least. Now it
would he quite impossible for me to convince him
that all knights of Labor not anarchists and
'members of the dangerous classes In fact,
rather than to have any controversy with my
learned friend am quite willing to yield the
point. We have an assembly in Belfast containing
four hundred members. They are drawn
from all classes of society and all occupations
ccpting rum sellers and lawyers Here are repre-
sentatires of the farm, the Workshop. the store,
and the printing press. Even the humble lecturer
is not overlooked. These are for the most
part citizens of Belfast, and are Il fair sample of
every knights of Labor organization il our roun-
try Exposing and showing up the blood-thirstv
nature OF these Belfast Knight, will serve to eN-
pose the whole order, and warn honest people of
their nefarious designs. While it will be impos-
siblc for me to write them up in detail. few of
the most garlng cases of depravity will do rs an
example. For instance, there is Charles W. Ham
ey, whose dynamite factory is almost directly be
meath the office of the Republican journal. Every
body knows his fcrocious disposition 1t is aston
iShing how the people of Belfast can remain calm
while this blood thirsty Nihlist stalks through the
streets like walking arsenal lie is at present
detailed to disseminate revolutionary literature,
and to blow up the journal Office as soon as the
details of the scheme can he arranged. One of the
most reioubtahe chieftains of our dark and mys-
tic order is Frank A. Howard. Although posses
sc'l OF fine intelligence, he began early in life to
show signs of II murdCrous tendency. One of his
first achievements was to bite of his brothers
ears. After this propensity had been fully devel-
oped by years devoted to sin, it easy mat.
ter for him to become 4 Knight. lie is chairman
of the Council of Three" whose duty consists in
plotting midnight assassinatiOns. This member is
especially useful to account of his great me
chanica skill. In exact proportion he is useful
to us he becomes dangerous to society at large.
This will he more apparent when disclose the
fact that he is now engaged in the manufacture of
internal machines Another member whose name
has already become terror to peaceful citizens is
Ansel L. Wa,lswOrth Thus it will he that
this insidious order is creeping into and destroy
ing the integrity of our judicial and executive
branches of county government. 1t was Wads
worth who first conceived the dabolica plot TO
destroy the vcrnin in our county Jail. Look at
him as he stalks along the streets. who would
not know that he was born plotter Of treason,
strategy and spOils? You know what Shakes
pearc says: "Iet me have men around me who
are sleek and fat that sleep o'nights-likc Rust
lon Wadsworth has a lean and hungry look;
he thinks too much; such men he are danger
GUS. IniS WlHt-eyctt anarchist was born III the
conmunistic town OF Lincolnville, of honest
American parents. Originally intended fer the
! ministry, he received careful and thorough re-
ligious education, some traces of which he de-
tected even at the present day. Apparently his
downward career began about the time that the
Progressive Age first supported him for an i'm
portant Office. Since then his decline has been
rapid and fearful lie now goes around the streets
of Belfast with il dynamite bomb under each arm,
and breathing fire and sulphurOus vapors from his
| nostrils. Not only has this order subverted the
foundations Of city and village life, but it is
now reaching out its tentacles and corrupting the
simplicity and patriotism of our rural cousins.
There is our once genial friend, Tom Smart. You
behold in him the wreck of a once magnificent
manhood. While teaching the young idea how to
shoot he listened in evil hour to the siren voice
of the tcmpter. Sad, indeed, that day for
Swanvillc
Goose river runicd half its width to form tear,
The other half pursued its calm career.
He is active member of the committee
| called "destroying angels" Wrapped in red
cross bones suspended from his neck, he paratles
| the streets of Swanvillc frightening women and
| children. Last, and least, comes your own humble
servant, the writer of this scrccd. As my friend
johnson would undoubtedly express it 81 amt no
| chicken" OF a pensive nature from youth, my
| early ambition was to become IL monk. Religion
has always been my strong grip. For years de